Andy Harris is a doctoral candidate of Human Development and Family Studies at Utah State University. His research interests are in civic engagement and leadership education in adolescence.

Troy E. BeckertUtah State University United States

Troy E. Beckert is a professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Utah State University. His research interests in adolescents and their families shape a focused agenda on intergenerational learning and adolescent psychosocial development.

Abstract

Civic engagement is important for the positive development of adolescents. As such, many youth development programs promote civic engagement, particularly community service and volunteerism. This report is a program evaluation of a youth leadership seminar that seeks to empower adolescents to engage in community service. Using a pre to post mixed-methods design, we evaluated 114 adolescent participants on several psychosocial outcomes. Findings indicated that participants experienced positive change that was consistent with program goals. Quantitative findings demonstrated self-reported increases in areas of cognitive autonomy, moral ideal and social responsibility. Qualitative findings included the important themes of an increased desire to volunteer, confidence, and positive feelings towards self. Implications of these findings and future directions are also discussed.

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Pancer, S. M., Pratt, M., Hunsberger, B., & Alisat, S. (2007). Community and political involvement in adolescence: What distinguishes the activists from the uninvolved? Journal of Community Psychology, 35(6), 741–759. doi:10.1002/jcop.20176